The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), now in its 20th year, is a key platform for world leaders, CEOs, innovators, and influential voices to launch thousands of mission-driven projects, impacting 500 million people globally.
Technology has radically reshaped traditional media structures by allowing people to choose their information sources, become their own publishers, and share stories among their communities in digital spaces. While good news and progress have always been tough to sell, these systemic changes — combined with the challenging economics and decline in trust of news media, the forces that drive digital traffic, and rampant misinformation — have made it even tougher. This has put new pressure on social good organizations to evolve their communications strategies to reach, build, support, and mobilize their communities.
CGI’s digital platforms — including web, email, and social media — are crucial for increasing awareness and understanding of its work. In response to the changing digital landscape and the fragmentation of news consumption, CGI identified a strategic opportunity to engage younger audiences, particularly Gen Z. As part of our flagship Annual Meeting in 2024, with support from Secretary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton, CGI launched the CGI Creators Experience to authentically connect with this demographic and showcase mission-driven leaders.
The initiative aimed to: (1) provide content creators with a unique way to experience and capture CGI, (2) offer a dynamic new experience to engage the global community, and (3) serve as a digital hub for collaboration, audience development, and idea exchange to address global challenges.
The CGI Annual Meeting has delivered an award-winning digital experience that brings the event to life for our online ‘community of doers.’ Through an immersive web experience, targeted influencer marketing, and a rapid response production team, we offered a proven product to CGI’s global audience.
By launching the CGI Creators Experience, we aimed to take our work to the next level by deepening connections with existing audiences, expanding brand messengers, and engaging younger, more online demographics. Our goal was to establish new ways to reach these groups and showcase CGI’s impact. We embraced creativity: leveraging our robust community and programming to meaningfully engage creators in telling CGI’s story.
Partnerships and Recruitment
The CGI model works best when members of the community partner on social impact work. A 2014 report by Palantir showed that CGI commitments made in partnership were more successful than ones driven by a single entity. Since partnerships are central to our work, we naturally considered how content partnerships could reinforce CGI’s value. As an operating foundation that devotes our budget to implementing programmatic work, paid partnerships aren’t an effective use of resources.
Through research and relationship mapping, we identified and recruited influencers with platforms aligned with CGI’s focus areas: women and girls’ equality, climate resilience, health equity, economic inclusion, and humanitarian response. Our programming team identified speakers with large followings interested in bringing CGI’s message to wider audiences. Collaborations with platforms like ATTN: and Female Quotient, alongside strategic talent agency counsel, helped us exceed our goals.
Refreshed Creative Approach
Our refreshed creative strategy loosened our brand guidelines to prioritize visually engaging, open-source content for digital-native audiences. By introducing versatile templates optimized for platforms like Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube, we empowered creators to produce mission-driven content while maintaining brand consistency. Interactive storytelling, behind-the-scenes visuals, and GIFs positioned CGI as an inclusive, forward-thinking platform, resonating with younger audiences.
Online Creators Hub for Resources
We developed the Online Creators Hub — a digital platform that provided everything creators needed to produce high-quality content, including messaging guides, creative best practices, and a curated media library with branded visuals and dynamic social assets.
Substantive Meeting Experience
CGI Creators received full access to the 2024 Annual Meeting, including dedicated spaces like the Creators Lounge, an invitation to the “After Mainstage” event, and unique opportunities to engage with global leaders. This access enabled creators to develop behind-the-scenes content that resonated with their audiences while introducing CGI to new communities. Our team also facilitated high-profile interviews with influential voices such as Chelsea Clinton, José Andrés, and Jane Goodall, ensuring that creators produced authentic content that amplified CGI’s mission.
Creators Lounge and “After Mainstage”
The Creators Lounge was designed as an immersive VIP space, combining a production studio, editing suite, and retreat area where creators could recharge and connect. The exclusive “After Mainstage” event followed day one programming, offering select creators and partners the chance to network and meet Chelsea Clinton. This event fostered organic collaboration, further strengthening our creator community and expanding CGI’s mission.
Our goal was to establish replicable methods for reaching younger generations and online audiences with CGI’s work. In our first year piloting the CGI Creators Experience, the results demonstrate strong demand. Leveraging our in-house creative and digital team and focusing on organic earned reach in lieu of paid advertising and media budget, the program’s success is measured by both quantitative and qualitative outcomes:
Engagement: 359% increase → 2.5M in 2024, 545K in 2023
Reach/Impressions: 34% increase → 778M in 2024, 577M in 2023
Video Views: 85% increase → 3.7M in 2024, 2M in 2023
Livestream View: 770% increase → 200K in 2024, 23K in 2023
Exceeded Recruitment Targets: 60 creators engaged, surpassing our target of 20 – a 200% achievement, expanding reach to 28.5M users
We welcomed creators including Here In NY, Kylee Lauren McGrane-Zarnoch, Genesis Butler, Elijah McKenzie-Jackson, John Dombrowski, and more; and teams from brands like ATTN:, (RED), Female Quotient, World Central Kitchen, Gates Foundation, MercyCorps, and more.
Beyond our digital ecosystem, we curated a dynamic event experience that we’ll build upon for our 20th anniversary year – including the Online CGI Creators Hub, the Creators Lounge, and networking events like the creators after-party, which hosted 60+ influential voices.
This success advances CGI’s mission to transform ideas into action. By expanding our digital reach and engagement, especially with younger audiences, we’ve created new pathways for sharing and scaling global solutions, inspiring participation in meaningful dialogue and individual actions that can be taken for addressing our most pressing challenges.
